The Heirs of Durin
by wild wolf free17
Summary: A collection of moviebased drabbles about Fili&Kili.
1. if the worst should happen

Title: if the worst should happen

Disclaimer: not my characters

Warnings: spoilers for the book/third movie

Pairings: none

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 160

Point of view: third

Prompt: Any +/any, they say you can never really go home again...

* * *

Neither of them has ever seen Erebor at its full glory, from the top of the mountain to the deepest mine. They listen to Uncle's stories, to Mother's songs, and they create new tales, starring themselves in those halls they've never been to.

They follow Uncle on his quest, though Mother tries to forbid it - but they are nearly of age, and heirs of Durin, and Mother nearly takes Kili's place, until Uncle says that one of the line must stay back, one who could lead, should the worst happen.

At that, Mother nearly took her axe to Uncle, but she at last stood aside.

(Fili has Uncle's commanding presence; Kili has Mother's charm. Neither of them has the experience to lead, should the worst happen. But they are strong, and they are quick, and when they fight together against all comers, they are nigh unbeatable.)

Neither of them has ever seen Erebor at its fullest glory.

Neither of them ever will.


	2. we forgive all those who cannot forget

Title: we forgive all those who cannot forget us

Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Carolyn Kizer

Warnings: character death; violence

Pairings: none

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 90

Point of view: third

Prompt:

Any, any, _I thought that we'd start over  
But I guess I was wrong _

(Talking Heads, Nothing But Flowers)

* * *

"Fili," he mumbles, trying to swallow what feels like all of his blood, dragging himself across mangled corpses. "Fee."

"'m'ere, Kee," his brother mumbles back, reaching for him.

He stretches for his brother's hand, everything gone so cold. "D'we win?" he asks, sagging down beside his brother, where he's always belonged. Surely they have won – Uncle has reclaimed the mountain, will sit upon the throne.

"O'course," Fili promises him.

The eagles have come and Kili watches them with the last of his fading sight, fingers gone loose in his brother's grasp.


	3. with lonely steps

Title: with lonely steps to tread the unfounded deep

Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Milton

Warnings: mentions of character death, a mother's grief, mourning

Pairing: mostly gen

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 330

Point of view: third

Prompt: Any, Any, Sworn

* * *

She stands at the top of the mountain, staring out at the world. Her guards stand with her, by order of the King Under the Mountain and their own loyalty to all that remains of Durin's line. Dain's wife is long dead, and so is her own husband, the father of the sons she no longer has. To avoid tearing apart their newly-returned realm, the wedding will be in three days.

Three days until she is queen in name, though - according to the elder brother she no longer has - she has been queen in all but name since their grandfather died at Moria.

She should not have let her sons join her brother on his quest for Erebor. Fili was barely of age, and Kili nearly there, but they were boys still. Her boys. Thorin had promised her, with the most solemn oath in Mahal's name, on the blood of Durin, that he would guard her boys well and return them to her whole and unharmed.

She has yet to cry for them, any of them, her only remaining brother and her babies. And now she alone is left, to be Queen Under the Mountain.

_There could yet be another child of Durin's line_, the people whisper to each other, _she is still in the prime of life, our queen_.

She smiles, mirthless, at the top of the mountain. Durin's blood is cursed, ever since Thror held the arkenstone for the first time. And she is the last direct descendant. There will be no more children. Let Dain's son have the throne.

Her brother had promised to return her sons, and he had promised their homeland back, and he had promised that all would be right again.

Of those, he kept only one.

So, for Thorin, she will rule Erebor. And for her sons, she will rule it well.

She turns away from the setting sun, holds her head high, and walks back into the mountain.


End file.
